Hanga-Aro-Rau Workforce Development Council is thrilled to advise the founding members of their Industry Stakeholder Group (ISG) have been appointed.

This essential rōpū will provide advice and feedback to the organisation’s Council on its strategic direction and performance and offer advice and information from an industry perspective. The ISG will also make future appointments to the Council. The formation of this group is a major part of Hanga-Aro-Rau’s transformation kaupapa and is mandated in its Order in Council.

Hanga-Aro-Rau is the Workforce Development Council for the Manufacturing, Engineering, and Logistics industries and works to ensure the sectors they represent have a greater leadership role and influence across the vocational education system and its transformation. They also create industry qualifications, set industry standards and assess training provisions against these industry standards. Everything they do contributes to an education system that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi and supports Māori–Crown relations.

CEO Phil Alexander-Crawford said he was energised by the quality of applicants to the ISG.

“We received more than 50 high calibre applications across the diverse breadth of industries Hanga-Aro-Rau serves – showing how much industry value the mahi of WDCs and want to contribute to the transformation of vocational education in Aotearoa,” Mr Alexander-Crawford said.

“We followed a robust selection approach managed by external advisors and the ISG’s Independent Interim Chair – Matua Turi Ngatai – to ensure a fair and unbiased process,” he added.

The founding members of the ISG are:

• Allan Jack – Ovation NZ
• Bryn Thompson – Metalcraft Engineering
• Catherine Lye – EMA
• Duane Mann – The Cause Collective
• Ida-Jean Murray – North Drill
• Mary Jensen, WECA and Smart Waikato Trust
• Melissa Bennett – Red Stag Timber
• Pererika Makiha – Coastguard NZ
• Peter Busfield – NZ Marine Industry Association
• Rick Lunn – Smart Trade Solutions
• Ruth Cobb – Print NZ
• Scott Fisher – Offsite NZ
• Scott Lawson – FPANZ
• Sean Rooney – Allied Petroleum
• Wayne Butson – Rail and Maritime Transport Union.

The first wānanga of the ISG will take place in late June.

Hanga-Aro-Rau Council Co-chairs Dr Troy Coyle and Renata Hakiwai said they are both excited to see the group established.

“It is something that we know is important to industry, that we heard industry tell us was a key mechanism to ensure the industry voice was integrated, during the consultation phases of RoVE. This mechanism is something unique to our WDC, and it ensures we stay much closer to industry, and we’re excited to have that industry voice coming back in a circle with the governance and operations,” they said.

Mr Alexander-Crawford expressed his thanks to all those who applied for the group.

“We appreciate the time and energy invested in the application process. We trust this is not haere rā for those who were unsuccessful, but that these people will bring their considerable knowledge and expertise to our table in other ways, such as joining one of our Sector Advisory Groups to assist with our strategic workforce development and qualification review mahi.”

To ensure the ISG meets its diversity requirements, further co-opted appointments will follow at a later date.